Thursday, September 05, 2013

Precedents



Bill Rice Ranch - First Light Devotionals  
I Kings 22:51  "And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

Who was the most influential king of Israel?  You could certainly make a case for David.  You might even say Solomon.  You could also make an argument for Ahab.  The Bible says that Ahab "did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him."  On top of that, he married Jezebel and served Baal.  I would want no part in any of that!

However, I really do believe the most influential king of Israel was Jeroboam!  I think that because the Bible mentions him repeatedly.  20 kings are mentioned over a span of 210 years, and not one of them did well.  All of them did follow the precedent of one man: Jeroboam.

Someone who sets a precedent obviously precedes.  A precedent setter sets the tempo.  There are really three kinds of people: precedent makers, precedent takers, and precedent breakers.  You may be more than one, but which one(s) describe(s) you?

The truth is, you will precede every generation that will ever be born hereafter.  You are a precedent maker whether you realize it or not.  The question is not if you will make a precedent; the question is, what kind of precedent will you make?  What kind of "tempo" are you setting in your home?

Perhaps you are a precedent taker.  That is, you are deciding if you will take the cue of those who preceded you.  You should not mindlessly accept everything before you.  Use God's Word and God's Spirit to decide what is right and worthy of accepting.  There is something to be gained by taking wise and Godly precedents as your own.  What precedents should you take as your own?

A precedent breaker does not accept the status quo for your life just because "that's the way it's always been."  Do not buy the lie that just because someone did, you must.  Don't buy their script for your life!  Remember that it is wise to learn from the mistakes of wise men; it is foolish to replicate their mistakes.

You are setting a precedent right now by your attitude, actions, and thoughts.  You have some precedents in your life that need to be taken as your own.  Some precedents set by others before you might need to be broken.  By God's grace, may we be wise precedent makers, takers, and breakers!


 
Prayer Requests:
1. BRR Elementary Retreat this weekend
2. West Branch Youth Conference in Peoria, AZ, this weekend
 
 
 
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Bill Rice Ranch | 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road | Murfreesboro | TN | 37128

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